Stimulation of proliferative activity of human natural killers (CD16+CD56+ cells) by recombinant interleukin-3in vitro

The proliferative activity of human natural killers (CD16⁺CD56⁺ cells) in the presence of 100 and 1000 IU/ml human recombinant interleukin-3 is investigatedin vitro. It is shown that recombinant interleukin-3 reliably enhances natural killer proliferation, causing a 9–15.2-fold increase of³H-thymidine uptake by CD16⁺CD56⁺ cells both in complete culture medium and in conditioned medium. The effect of the factor is 3.9–6.4 and 3.6–8.9-fold more potent than that of recombinant interleukin-2 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, respectively, in the same doses. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 4, pp. 409–412, April, 1995 Presented by S. V. Prozorovskii, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Lysis of pulmonary fibroblasts by lymphokine (IL-2)-activated killer cells—a mechanism affecting the human lung microenvironment?

In this study we investigated whether IL-2-activated killer cells may bind and exert lytic activity against non-transformed lung fibroblasts. We demonstrated that human lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells generated in vitro following incubation with recombinant IL-2 of either peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PB-LAK) or lymphocytes obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL-LAK), but not resting cells, can lyse normal lung fibroblasts obtained from transbronchial lung biopsies in a 4-h ⁵¹Cr release assay. Both autologous and allogeneic fibroblasts were consistently lysed by LAK cells, thus suggesting that the phenomenon we observed is not MHC-restricted. Since fibroblasts can bind IL-2 through specific receptors, we evaluated whether long-term culture with rIL-2 could modulate the susceptibility to lysis of target cells. Our data showed that autologous fibroblasts were more resistant to lysis than allogeneic fibroblasts when they were cultured with rIL-2. Since LAK cells have been demonstrated to release a series of different immunomodulatory cytokines, we evaluated the effect of short-term incubation of fibroblasts with different factors, including IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), on the binding and the lysis mediated by LAK cells. These cytokines were not directly cytotoxic on fibroblasts. Only IFN-γ was found to have a significant protective effect against the lysis. Our data support the concept that a self-directed cytotoxicity against pulmonary fibroblasts is generated during lymphocyte activation with rIL-2.     

Immunocytochemical study of the localization of scavenger receptor in human aortic smooth-muscle cells

Scavenger receptor was soughtin situ in human aortic smooth-muscle cells and in a primary culture of intact human aortic intima using antibodies to scavenger receptor. For identification of smooth-muscle cells, double staining making use of antibodies to murine α-actin was used. The presence of scavenger receptor in smooth-muscle cells of the intima and media of human aorta was demonstrated on aortic slices. In cultured smooth-muscle cells from normal human aortic intima scavenger receptor was distributed over the entire surface of the cell membrane, forming clusters in some places. These results suggest that human aortic smooth-muscle cells express scavenger receptor. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 8, pp. 195–198, August, 1995 Presented by V. N. Smirnov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Interstrain peculiarities of the secondary immune response in mice

CBA, CC57BR, C57B1/6, BALB/c, and outbred white mice were intraperitoneally or subcutaneously (C57B1/6 strain) immunized with sheep red cells in a dose optimal for the development of delayed-type hypersensitivity but subthreshold for antibody production. Seven days later the mice were reimmunized with sheep red cells in various doses subcutaneously (CBA, C57B1/6, BALB/c, outbred mice) or intraperitoneally (CBA, CC57BR, outbred mice), and 5 days after reimmunization the intensity of antibody production and delayed-type hypersensitivity was assessed. Intact mice were controls. The immunization was found to selectively enhance delayed-type hypersensitivity in C57B1/6, CC57BR, and BALB/c mice and to intensify antibody production in CBA mice; both phenomena were observed in outbred mice. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 11, pp. 499–501, November, 1994 Presented by K. P. Kashkin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Metastasizing of human melanoma on immunodeficient mice. Comparison of cell lines with different metastasizing activity

Two human melanoma cell variats-with low and high metastasizing activity-are obtained by successive passaging on mice with combined immunodeficiency. After the development of a subcutaneous tumor, tumor cells are detected only in the bloodstream of animals with a highly metastasizing tumor, in mice with combined immunodeficiency the number of these cells being much greater than that in nude mice. These results indicate a preeminent influence of the nature of tumor cells on the dissemination of metastasizing cells. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 2, pp. 206–208, February, 1995 Presented by Yu. N. Solov'ev. Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.     

Expression of the human α-1-antitrypsin gene in heterologous mammalian cells

A genetic-engineering construction is developed containing the full-size cDNA of human α-1-antitrypsin, controlled by the promotor and enhancer elements from cytomegalovirus. It is shown that, after transfection with this recombinant DNA, it is properly expressed in heterologous animal cells. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, vol. 117, N ^o 2, pp. 166–167, Feburary, 1993 Presented by A. N. Klimov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Immunomodulating effects of α1-acid glycoprotein (Orosomucoid) in a culture of human peripheral blood lymphocytesglycoprotein (Orosomucoid) in a culture of human peripheral blood lymphocytes

The mechanisms of the antiproliferative effect of α₁-acid glycoprotein (AGP) isolated from the blood of healthy donors (nAGP) and from the ascitic fluid of patients with stomach cancer (aAGP) are studied. Three fractions of AGP are divided into 3 groups according to their ability to bind to concanavalin A (ConA): AGP not binding to ConA (AGP-1) and AGP weakly (AGP-2) and strongly (AGP-3) binding to ConA. It is shown that native preparation of aAGP has a more potent inhibitory effect on lymphocyte proliferation than native preparation of nAGP. The most potent inhibitory effect is exerted by AGP-3. Native preparation of aAGP does not affect the secretion of interleukin-2 (IL-2) by lymphocytes, whereas AGP-1 inhibits this process. The weakly bound fraction has a stimulatory effect both on the proliferative response and on IL-2 secretion. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 7, pp. 71–73, July, 1994     

Morphological and functional characteristics of human pituitary lactotrophic adenomas in cell cultures

Some features of the morphological cellular structure of prolactin secreting human pituitary adenomas and their secretion of prolactin and somatotropic hormone in primary suspension cultures were investigated. A possiblein vitro proliferation of lactotrophs was established. The inhibitory effect of somatostatin and its synthetic analog sandostatin, on prolactin secretion in prolactinomas was found to be less than in somatotropic hormone-secreting pituitary tumors. Presented by A. N. Konovalov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 11, pp. 543–546, November, 1994     

Use of glutathione inhibitors and glutathione transferases to overcome tumor resistance to cytostaticsin vivo

Preincubation of cells of BDF1 hybrid mice with P388 leukemia with doxorubicin and buthionine sulfoximine leads to the manifestation of a therapeutic effect of the antibiotic. Injection of buthionine sulfoximine and ethacrinic acid to mice with leukemia does not alter the therapeutic effect of the antibiotic. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 2, pp. 212–214, February, 1995 Presented by N. N. Trapeznikov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effect of isobutyl ester of retinoic acid on the cellular composition of bronchoalveolar lavage and on the mitotic activity of alveolar monocyte-macrophages in rats

Different doses of the isobutyl ester of retinoic acid were administered intraperitoneally into rats for two weeks. The dose of 1 mg/kg caused a significant increase in the mitotic activity of cells of the macrophagal series in alveoli; an anti-inflammatory effect was observed at a dose of 10 mg/kg. The isobutyl ester of retinoic acid did not affect the cell ratio (alveolar macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils) in the internal medium of the lungs. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 12, pp. 645–647, December, 1994 Presented by N. K. Permyakov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences